Textronics, Inc. Awarded Patent For Textile-based Electrodes

(WILMINGTON, DE, February 11, 2008) — Textronics, Inc., a leader in the development of wearable sensors for fitness and health monitoring, has been awarded a patent (7,308,294 B2) for its textile-based electrode system by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.

The patent is for stretchy textile electrodes that can be incorporated into wearable garments to comfortably monitor the wearer’s heart rate, ECG or other electrical activity of the body. Textronics has commercialized this invention in its NuMetrex line of heart rate monitoring fitness apparel, including the NuMetrex Heart Sensing Sports Bra, Heart Sensing Racer Tank, and Cardio Shirt for Men.

NuMetrex garments replace the cumbersome heart rate monitoring chest straps that tend to chafe, slip and loosen during workouts. They are constructed of an advanced wicking fabric with conductive sensing fibers integrated into the chest band area of the shirt or sports bra. The conductive fabric moves comfortably with the body, picking up the heart’s electrical pulse and sending it to a compatible wristwatch or exercise machine via a tiny transmitter that is snapped into a pocket on the garment.

“Our heart rate monitoring fitness apparel has been worn by ultra-marathoners, Olympic athletes, college basketball players and even the Bionic woman,” said Textronics CEO Stacey Burr. “We are excited about the opportunity for textile electrodes to change the way people monitor their bodies for a wide range of health and fitness applications.”

About Textronics
Textronics Inc. is a leader in the development of wearable sensors for fitness and health monitoring. The Company’s textile sensor systems are capable of capturing comprehensive physiologic data from the body and are designed to be seamlessly integrated into everyday garments. Wearable monitoring allows a comfortable and user-friendly way to obtain body data measurements to assist consumers in managing their top wellness concerns of weight loss, physical health and energy level. Textronics Inc. sells sensor components and markets its own line of clothes for personal monitoring under the brand name NuMetrex. www.numetrex.com